Pages

Monday, 29 August 2016

Thanks to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for giving
this book to review.

Nexis is a really enjoyable sci-fi/dystopian novel which
has lots of action, romance, mystery and a few twists. This book keeps you on
the edge of your seat as it is fast paced especially once Ella has started her
quest in Nexis. I loved the idea of Nexis and part of me would love for it to
be real.

Ella has a hard time in this book as she is depressed and
confused, and she is an outsider who does not fit in. However, she is also
resilient and intelligent. Gus is confident, cocky and charismatic, and he is
caring towards Ella and they have a real chemistry. However, he might have an
ulterior motive and I could not tell who he was in the real world. I
felt that the side characters could be more developed as the only one got to
know is Meems.

I found the ending rushed and confusing but I am looking
forward to reading the next book Redux. I would recommend Nexis to people who
enjoyed Of Beauty and Beast by Stacey Jay and The Dark Realm by Anthea Sharp.

Friday, 19 August 2016

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for giving this
book to review.

Goldenfire is a really good sequel set a couple years
after Darkhaven, which left me on the edge of my seat as there was so much
going on, lots of POV and a real page turner. There is action, romance and well
written three dimensional characters with their own strength and flaws. I found
the alchemy in this story interesting. However, while there were a lot of
twists I guessed the assassin much easier than I did the mystery in the
previous books.

Ayla is more confident in this book but does keep judging
herself compared to her father and his rule, and she therefore has to shoulder
a lot of the responsibility of ruling. Tomas is still loyal and determined but
we also see him as a clever leader even though he does not see this as he has
lots of insecurities about himself. I really like how mature and realistic Ayla
and Tomas relationship is and shows they love each other while they still
argue.

There are so many characters in this book, with people
from the last book, Elisse and Sorrow, as well as the new Helm recruits like
Ree, Zander and Penn. I was annoyed with Serenna’s character as in the last
book she was willing to consider leaving being a priestess for Myrren but not
for her own child, I felt that really did not fit her character.

I really enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to
more novels in this world. I would recommend Goldenfire to fans of the first
book Darkhaven.

Thursday, 18 August 2016

Bound by love is the last book in the Elven Princess
series and is a fun light read. This book is slower paced than the previous
books but in a good way as there is more suspense and less action and constant
kidnappings. This book also has more romance but it is very innocent and in a
more fairytale fashion.

Arabella is intuitive, sincere and has grown stronger as
the trilogy continued and does not give up. Robert has more responsibilities on
his shoulders but he is still dependable, charismatic and diligent. Jocelyn
comes across as unassuming but she is sociable and an empathic person and I
feel she has become my favourite character in this series.

I did not see the twist at the end coming and I am
looking forward to reading what Janeal Falor writes next. I would recommend
Bound by Love to fans of the first two books in the Elven Princess series,
Bound by Birthright and Bound to Endure, and this series to fans of light
fantasy.

Tuesday, 16 August 2016

Bound to Endure is the second very enjoyable and fast
paced book in the Elven Princess series. This book has non-stop action and a
forbidden romance. This book is fun to read but more serious than the previous
book, but it is not as dark as it very easily could have been.

Arabella is emotional and courageous in this book and is
selfless when it comes to her country and people. Robert is friendly and
considerate and also adventurous and versatile. I like that we got to know
Abner better and while he is still aloof he comes across in a more good light.
I also liked Jocelyn and how she was a good friend to Arabella but the
friendship is not the healthiest as Arabella is very clingy to her.

I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the
last book in this series Bound by Love. I would recommend Bound to Endure to
fans of the first book Bound by Birthright.

Monday, 15 August 2016

Thanks to Netgalley and Patchwork Press for giving me
this book to review.

Bound by Birthright is a very likeable light fantasy
novel. It is very fast paced with action, romance and adventure. However, the
insta-love was irritating and for the most part I found the story predictable.

Arabella is naïve, friendly and impulsive and for the
most part I liked her but she did act a bit too proper and self-centred and I
wished she would realise what it is like for her staff. Robert is protective
and hardworking while also being loyal and open minded. There are lots of other
characters in this book such as the mothering but stern Constance, the elf
hating Abner and Arabella’s maids Jocelyn and Emeline, but I hope they are more
fleshed out subsequent books.

I did not expect that ending and it is going to make
things interesting in the next book Bound to Endure. I would recommend Bound by
Birthright to fans of Cutlass by Ashley Nixon and Of Sea and Stone by Kate
Avery Ellison.

Saturday, 13 August 2016

Weeia on my Mind is the second book in the Weeia Marshals
series, which is an enjoyable Unban fantasy book. This story has mystery,
action and romance and while mostly predictable there were a few twists I did
not see coming. However, I get the feeling that Elle is not sure how she wants
the series to progress, I could be wrong though, but it doesn’t feel as if it
is working towards an end point like her previous series was.

Danni feels more secure in herself in this book and is
determined to do a good job and to protect those in need, and is also short
tempered and observant. Sebastien is considerate, friendly and easy-going but I
was not sure if he was trustworthy as he seemed too perfect. I am glad Iaen is
in this book but I hope in the future he is more part of the story instead of
just the love interest.

I am looking forward to reading the next book in this
series. I would recommend Weeia on my Mind to fans of the first book in the
Weeia Marshals series Gypsies, Tramps and Weeia and those who enjoyed the
Unelmoija series.

Friday, 12 August 2016

Of Sand and Storm is the very good 3rd novella
in the Fairy Queens series and like the others it is fast paced, well written
and has good world building. However this is the darkest of the books as it
deals with difficult issues such as slavery and sex trafficking. I would
suggest you don’t read this story until you have read the previous books
otherwise it could be confusing. One thing which lets this story down is that
it had insta-love which I am not a fan of, and I got the impression from Winter’s
Heir that Cinder would not have a love interest.

Cinder is determined, protective and like all of Amber’s protagonists
she has strong inner strength. However, she is the most damaged of the heroines
with a coping mechanism in numbers, and not surprisingly Cinder is not very
trusting. The love interest, Darsam, pretends
to be flippant and cocky but is actually selfless, kind and gentle. Ash and
Storm would do anything to protect Cinder and want her to have a better life
than they did.

I love this series and I am looking forward to reading
what Amber writes next. I would highly recommend the Fairy Queens series to
fans of YA fantasy novels, especially to those who like Maria V Snyder and Trudi
Canavan’s books.

Monday, 1 August 2016

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the fantastic 8th
story in the Harry Potter universe, and I have not felt this nostalgic and
sentimental about a book since I finished reading The Deathly Hallows. This story
has the same atmosphere as the books and I loved being back in this magical
world again. It is a very quick and easy, with an engrossing plot, twists and
turn and lots of familiar faces. Like the books, it focuses on friendship and
love but also looks at the impact and outcomes from the decisions from the
original 7 books.

I had to get used to reading a script layout instead of a
normal book format which I did but because it is not a standard book I missed
the emotional depth we see in characters in novels. One criticism is that it
has a fanfic vibe to it, with all the old favourites back, and one thing in
particular I felt was there to power the story and to make fans happy rather
than it making sense in the original books (will talk more about this later).

I struggled to get on with Albus in the beginning as he
came across selfish and with too much angst but he did grow on me. He feels he
is disappointment as he cannot live up to his father and is an outsider. While the
story points out often the Harry and Albus are different I felt their personality
and beliefs are very similar, which is probable why they clash and quarrel often.
My favourite character in this story is Scorpius as he is an outsider and geeky
(and proud). He is the sensible best friend who is a follower not a leader, and
is also kind and lonely.

Harry is stressed as an adult as he has to deal with
being thought of as legendary and his traumatic childhood which has still left some
big emotional scars. I also think fans will like and understand his struggles
with being a good parent and feeling like he is doing everything wrong. Hermione
has become more confident and determined as an adult and has a lot of responsibilities
resting on her shoulders but is still the same character we know and love. However,
I was very disappointed with how Ron was portrayed in this story. This is
because instead of having the complex and overlooked Ron from the books we have
the Ron from the films whose only role is to be the joker of the group.

Spoilers!!!!

The main thing which made no sense to me in this story
was Delphi’s parents for two reasons. Firstly I got the impression from the
book that as Voldemort became less human he lost interest in having sex and
generally he saw people were pawns just used to get him more power, so him
fathering a daughter near the end of his life did not ring true to me. Secondly,
whilst Bellatrix adored Voldemort and would have very happily slept with him,
how come no one knew she was pregnant or had had a child including her nephew Draco?

Spoilers End

That being said I love this book as it adds to the story
of Harry Potter without copying it, and I am desperate to watch the play soon,
to see this story in the format it is meant to be seen. I will always want more
books set in this world and while J K Rowling says this is the end for Harry, I
would love more books set either in the past or future. I would recommend Harry
Potter and the Cursed Child to everyone who loves Harry Potter and wants to
find out what happens next.